


Choices

by DesertVixen



Category: Dungeons and Dragons (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Series Finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-26
Updated: 2010-12-26
Packaged: 2017-10-14 02:56:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/144588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little bit of insight into the Cavalier’s thoughts at the end of “Requiem”.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

  * For [astolat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astolat/gifts).



Eric almost couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t let himself believe it.

They could go home. They had done what they were supposed to do. They had removed Venger as a threat not by destroying him, but by saving him. Dungeon Master himself had opened the portal, and it remained open. He could hear the music and even smell the popcorn.

Yet they stood there. He wondered if the others were as paralyzed as he was.

“What do you mean, we could stay here?” Presto’s voice was quiet.

“Exactly that. You could remain citizens of the Realm.” Dungeon Master was as unruffled as ever. “As I said, there are other adventures and other enemies. Not everything here has been bad, I think.”

Presto was quiet, but Eric knew the Magician was thinking of Varla, the red-haired illusionist who had risked everything once to save them. Although he had rarely spoken of it, Eric knew that Presto had stronger feelings for the young woman than gratitude.

“Is the choice we make forever?” Hank asked.

“No choice is forever, Ranger.”

Eric sighed in relief. For a few minutes there, Dungeon Master had been making perfect sense. Maybe they had been here too long.

“If you choose to go home,” Dungeon Master continued, “I will give you a charm that will allow you to open your own portal to the Realm. It will also allow those in the Realm to communicate with you.”

He wanted to go home and sleep in a bed, eat food he hadn’t been responsible for producing, maybe take a ten-hour long shower. He wanted to get somewhere by riding in a car, not walking or riding strange beasts of burden. He wanted more than one change of clothing.

Eric realized sharply that everything he missed was…material. He had no idea if his parents had missed him. God knew, he had been missing them his entire life. He would never say it aloud, but sometimes he envied Sheila and Bobby their stay-at-home-mom and her kitchen that always smelled of home-baked love and sugar, or Hank the close relationship with his father. Sometimes, he envied it so much it hurt. Would they even notice if he never came back? Would anyone?

So he remained silent. Whatever the rest of the group decided, he would go along with.

They decided to go home. Dungeon Master nodded, as if he had expected this all along. They laid their weapons at his feet, and Dungeon Master waved a hand. Eric jumped, startled, as he felt a shocking heat against his neck for an instant. Then, he realized that it was a chain, with a single charm dangling from it. It was a miniature replica of his shield.

The others had similar charms – a stylized bow and arrow for Hank, a wizard’s cap for Presto – and he wondered if he was the only one who felt just a little sorry to be leaving.

Dungeon Master nodded. “To go home, you merely need to go through the portal. Farewell, my Young Ones.”

He had a sudden impulse to hug Dungeon Master. He didn’t give into it.

Eric stepped through the portal, and home.

*** *** ***

They found themselves sitting in the cart they had been sitting in when their whole world went crazy. Only now it was sitting at the end of the ride, and the operator was giving them a very annoyed look.

“Ride’s over, get out.”

He couldn’t believe it. It was if they had never left. Had it all been some sort of dream? Had the ride been so pathetic he had fallen asleep?

They got out, ignoring the hostile look from the operator, and went outside as a group. Everything seemed strange and familiar at the same time.

“Did…did all of that happen?” Sheila asked.

Eric reached up around his neck, and felt the chain. More than that, he felt the weight of the small shield, his shield. “It happened,” he said firmly, pulling the chain out for the others to see. “It happened.”

They were all quiet for a moment, feeling their own chains and charms. He felt like he had to do something to break the weirdness. “Let’s make up for some lost junk food opportunities,” he said. “On me.”


End file.
